Stackable bottle crate made from plastic material

ABSTRACT

In a stackable bottle crate from plastic material, the side walls are reinforced by vertical hollow profiled columns which are extended up to the upper marginal edge of the crate side walls and together with the upper marginal edge from a circumferential piling edge for load reduction.

The invention relates to a stackable bottle crate from plastic materialin accordance with the preamble of patent claim 1.

Stackable bottle crates are known in most different embodiments, whereina particular problem in stackable bottle crates lies in making the crateso rigid that a perfect load transmission without deformations of thebottle crate is guaranteed. For the purpose of stiffening stackablebottle crates it is known to form hollow profiled columns in the sidewalls which columns are spaced with respect to one another and protrudeinto the interior of the crate. These hollow profiled columns providethe advantage that in addition to their stiffening function theysimultaneously form holding faces for the bottles to be received in thecrate. For permitting piling of bottle crates, herein the hollowprofiled columns are not completely extended till the upper crate edge.

It is object of the invention to create a bottle crate which showsmaximum stiffness with optimum minimization of weight, so that loadtransfer in the pile is possible without danger of damaging the bottlecrate.

This object is solved in accordance with the invention by the featurescontained in the characterizing clause of claim 1, wherein advantageousfurther developments of the invention are characterized by the featurescontained in the subclaims.

According to claim 1 the hollow profiled columns are guided up to theupper marginal edge of the crate side walls, so that they togethertherewith form a circumferential piling edge for load transfer. Incontrast to the traditional design in which the columns end by theinsertion depth of the bottom below the adjacent crate margin, it isguaranteed by this embodiment that the hollow profiled columnscontribute to load transfer. The hollow profiled columns in anyarbitrary cross-sectional shape take over a full load portion. In thisconnection it is advantageous that in accordance with claim 2 the crateis reinforced on top and on bottom by a circumferential rib band,preferably of horizontal ribs, wherein a further stiffening of the crateis achieved by vertical ribs between the hollow profiled columns. Thisresults in a bottle crate completely taking over load, the side walls ofwhich crate can be kept extremely thin. This wall usually need not bethicker than corresponding cardboard layers in packagings from paper, sothat it is rendered possible by the crate in accordance with the presentinvention to manufacture plastic crates and cardboard crates withidentical exterior dimensions and to exchange them without problem, sothat a mixed course of the two packaging manners is possible. Thissimplifies a step-by-step conversion of the two packaging modes, thisbeing of great advantage for introducing bottle crates which are tosubstitute for cartonages.

This particular embodiment, in particular of the upper circumferentialcrate edge, allows a special bottom design which is suitable forstaggered and composite piling. This is achieved by support ringstructures formed at the crate bottom, namely at the bottom side of thecrate bottom, and formed by ribs protruding downwardly and beingcircumferential like a ring. The dimensions of the support ringstructure are increased by bulges, whereby the distance of the peakpoints of these island-like arranged support ring structures withrespect to one another is decreased. In total, a greater bearing face ofthe crate results from these enlarged support ring structures, thisbeing of substantial meaning for moving the crates free of vibrationsalso on roller tracks with larger distances of rollers. Furthermore, thearrangement of the island-like, i.e. per compartment, disposed supportring structure permits a linear piling as well as staggered piling ofthe bottle crates. In addition, the ribs protruding in downwarddirection increase friction on inclined conveyors. Nevertheless, thesesupport ring structures do not inhibit the easy removal of the cratesfrom the crate layer therebelow in case of manual handling. This designfurthermore also is advantageous in case of mixed piling of cartonageand plastic units. The construction of the support ring structures inaddition permits erection of the preferably triangular vertical hollowprofiled columns and furthermore allows to easily pull away the piledcrates due to the rounded contours.

Finally, in accordance with a further embodiment the mutually crossingcompartment walls are reinforced in the points of intersection, namelyby segmental walls bridging and connecting neigbouring compartment wallswhich per point of intersection mutually supplement to form a roof,stabilize the compartment work and permit a higher lateral loading ofthe crate.

In the following a preferred embodiment of the invention will bedescribed with reference to the drawings. Therein

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a bottle crate, the left half of the craterepresenting a sectional view along line A--A of FIG. 2,

FIG. 2 shows a top view onto a part of the bottle crate, wherein theupper left-hand quarter represents a sectional view along the line C--Cof FIG. 1, the upper right-hand quarter shows a view of the crate bottomfrom bottom as well as the left-hand lower quarter shows a view of thecrate from top,

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the short side of the bottle crate, the lefthalf representing a sectional view along the lien B--B of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 shows the detail A of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 shows the detail B of FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 shows a section along the line D--D of FIG. 2,

FIG. 7 shows a section along the line E--E of FIG. 2,

FIG. 8 shows the detail X of FIG. 3,

FIG. 9 shows the detail Y of FIG. 2 (upper left-hand quarter) as well asFIG. 10 shows a top view onto a pallet for showing differentpossibilities of piling the crate.

The bottle crate made from plastic material, shown in the drawingscomprises two opposing long side walls 1 as well as two opposing shortside walls 2 and serves for accomodating a total of 12 bottles inreceiving compartments 4 formed by mutually crossing separation walls 3.Of course, it also is possible to provide for more or fewer compartmentsin the bottle crate, so that the statements made herein have to beregarded as exemplarily. At the upper and lower crate edge, the cratecomprises one circumferential rib band 5 and 6 each, wherein the upperrib band 5 is shown in FIG. 4 and the lower rib band 6 is shown in FIG.5 in more detail. The rib bands are displaced to the outside withrespect to the corresponding vertical side wall face 7 and/or 8,respectively, and/or the corresponding vertical side wall face 7, 8 isslightly displaced to the inside with respect to the rib bands 5 and 6.The rib bands 5 and 6, each are formed by horizontal ribs 9 runningaround the crate, which ribs are formed on the outside of the rib bands5 and 6, whereas the inner face of the rib bands 5 and 6, facing theinterior of the crate to a great extent is level. In the shownembodiment each rib band 5 and 6 contains four ribs 9.

The vertical side wall faces 7 and 8 framed by the upper and the lowerrib bands 5 and 6 as well as by the vertical corner edges of the crate,wherein the transition of the rib band and the corner edges into thevertical side wall face 7 and 8 is effected by rounded faces 10. Bythese slightly retracted side wall faces 7 and 8, an optimum protectionof the advertising surfaces is obtained and furthermore it is renderedpossible that the bottles received in the crate stand directly at thecomparatively thin vertical side wall.

The side walls 1 and 2 are reinforced by hollow profiled columns 11 and12 disposed at the inner face, wherein in the shown embodiment at thelong side wall three hollow profiled columns 11 are disposed at the gapswith respect to the compartments and at the short side of the bottle(crate) two hollow profiled columns 12 are disposed. The hollow profiledcolumns 12 in the shown embodiment in their triangular cross-sectioncorrespond to the hollow profiled columns 11 approximately up to theheight of the grip opening referred to by 13 and from there on extend assemi-profile and starting with the upper marginal edge of the gripopening again extend as full profile like the hollow profiled columns11. This means that the grip opening 13 in the side wall of the crate atboth sides is bordered by hollow profiled columns 12, whereby edgedesigns which render seizing of the crate more difficult and which arerestricting in seizing, are done without. This simplifies handling ofthe crate due to omission of a sharp edge. It is of importance that thevertical hollow profiled columns 11 and 12 are extended up to uppermarginal edge 14 of the crate, so that they together with the uppermarginal edge of the rib band 5 form a circumferential piling edge.Thereby it is guaranteed that the hollow profiled columns which may showany arbitrary cross-sectional shape take over a full load portion.Thereby the crate is made fully load-carrying, wherein maximum rigiditycombined with low compression factors is guaranteed at minimization ofweight.

Furthermore, at the side walls between the hollow profiled columns 11and 12 vertical ribs 15, 16 and 17 are formed to the inner faces of theside walls 1 and 2. The ribs 17 herein are arranged in the four cornerareas of the crate and essentially extend over the entire height of thecrate. They herein serve for reinforcing the corner section of thecrate. The ribs 15 and 16 in the shown embodiment essentially extentover the height of the upper rib band 5 and the edge thereof runninginnermost runs in line with the inner wall of the vertical side wallface 7 and 8, as results from FIG. 1 upper left-hand side.

Comparable ribs 18 are arranged in the area of the lower rib band 6. Theribs 15 of the upper rib band 5 herein extend up to the uppercircumferential piling edge 14, whereas the vertical ribs 16 end at aslight distance below the piling edge. These ribs cause a reinforcementof the upper and lower circumferential rib bands and in connection withthe circumferential ribs 9 contribute against a bulging of the upper andlower crate rims in all directions.

The crate bottom is formed by special support ring structures 19 whichare formed and/or arranged like islands, i.e. per compartment. Thesesupport ring structures extend from the bottom face downwardly, i.e.they are disposed at the lower bottom side. Each support ring structurecomprises an outer circumferential ring-like rib 20 and an innercircumferential ring-like rib 21. These outer and inner ribs 20 and/or21, respectively, herein protrude in downward direction. The outer rib20 together with the inner rib 21 borders an annular bottom face 22,whereas a circular bottom face 23 is formed within the inner rib 21,which face is on a higher level with respect to the bottom face 22.Profiled openings having the approximate shape of bananas and beingreferred to by reference numeral 24, are provided for in the annularface 22. Openings 25 shaped like circular segments are provided forwithin the bottom face 23. These openings permit dirty water andcleasing water ocurring during rinsing of the crates to leak out and dueto their dimensions at the same time prevent crown corks of the bottlesfrom getting stuck.

In the area of the axes formed by the mutually crossing compartmentwalls the island-shaped support ring structures 19 are mutually spaced,as is marked with letter F in FIG. 2, left-hand bottom side. Thisresults in the formation of so-called pull-off grooves between theisland-shaped support ring structures.

It furthermore is essential that bulges 26 shown in closer detail inFIG. 9, are provided for in the area of the outer ribs. This results inincreases of the dimensions of the support ring structures 19, thispermitting a reduction of the island intervals and thus a noise-freemovement on roller conveyors, even on roller bands with large rollerdistances.

In the points of intersection of the compartment walls 3 segmental walls27a, 27b, 27c and 27d per point of intersection, which walls bridgeneighbouring compartment walls and serve for reinforcement, arearranged, which walls supplement one another to form a roof, aroof-shaped square in the shown embodiment, and which stabilized thecompartment work and therefore guarantee a higher lateral loading of thecrate.

As can be seen from FIG. 10, the bottles crates permit piling incomposite and staggered piling mode.

I claim:
 1. A bottle crate from plastic material with four side walls, acrate bottom, an upper and lower marginal rim and compartment wallsdisposed in the interior of the crate for bordering accommodationcompartments for bottles, comprising, vertical side walls having innervertical and outer faces substantially filling the area between saidupper and lower marginal rims reinforced by vertical hollow profiledcolumns protruding from said inner face of said side walls into theinterior of the crate, said columns extending between said upper andlower marginal rims to form a circumferential piling edge for loadreduction;a continuous circumferential band having an inner and outerface; parallel, horizontally extending ribs formed on said outer face ofsaid band and extending outwardly there from; said vertical outer facesof said side walls bordered by said circumferential, said outer bandface of said band protruding outwardly farther than said vertical outerside faces; said vertical inner side faces supporting bottlesthereagainst; and crate corner edges formed by rounded faces.
 2. Bottlecrate as defined in claim 1, characterized in that at the upper and/orlower crate edge a circumferential rib band each with circumferentialhorizontal ribs is provided for at the outer side wall face.
 3. Bottlecrate as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the crate bottom atthe bottom side thereof comprises island-like support ring structuresarranged per compartment, which are formed by angularly circumferentialribs protruding downwardly.
 4. Bottle crate as defined in claim 1,characterized in that the vertical side wall faces between the upper andlower rib band and between the vertical corner edges of the crate areslightly displaced to the inside with respect to the rib band andvertical crate corners and that the transition between the vertical sidewall faces and the rib bands and/or corner edges, respectively, of thecrate preferably are formed by round faces.
 5. Bottle crate as definedin claim 1 with grip openings in at least one of the crate side walls,characterized in that each grip opening at both sides is bordered byhollow profiled columns.
 6. Bottle crate as defined in claim 1,characterized in that the crate side walls at their inner face betweenthe hollow profiled columns are reinforced by vertical ribs whichpreferably extend over the height of the upper and/or lower rib band andin the corner areas continually essentially extend over the entire crateheight.
 7. Bottle crate as defined in claim 1, characterized in that thecrate bottom at the bottom side thereof comprises island-like supportring structures arranged per compartment, which are formed by angularlycircumferential ribs protruding downwardly.
 8. Bottle crate as definedin claim 7, characterized in that segmental walls connecting adjacentcompartment walls and preferably supplementing one another to form aroof-shaped square in the point of intersection, are disposed in thepoints of intersection of the compartment walls.
 9. Bottle crate asdefined in claim 7, characterized in that each support ring structure isformed by an outer rib and an inner rib.
 10. Bottle crate as defined inclaim 7, characterized in that each support ring structure disposed andformed in island-like manner comprises bulges locally increasing thewidth dimensions of the structure, of the outer rib, which preferablyare formed opposingly.
 11. Bottle crate as defined in claim 7,characterized in that the support ring structure is mutually spaced inthe axes defined by the compartment walls.
 12. Bottle crate as definedin claim 7, characterized in that profiled openings are provided for inthe bottom face between the outer and inner ribs as well as within theinner rib, the shape and/or dimensions of which openings prevent bottlecrown corks from getting stuck.
 13. Bottle crate as defined in claim 12,characterized in that the profiled openings between outer and inner ribsare formed by openings shaped like ring segments or like bananas and theprofiled openings in the bottom face within the inner ribs are formed byopenings shaped like circle segments.
 14. Bottle crate as defined inclaim 1, characterized in that segmental walls connecting adjacentcompartment walls and preferably supplementing one another to form aroof-shaped square in the point of intersection, are disposed in thepoints of intersection of the compartment walls.
 15. A plastic bottlecrate comprising:a crate having upper and lower circumferential edgesand corner edges formed by inclined faces; side vertical walls havingvertical inner and outer faces substantially filling the area betweensaid upper and lower circumferential edges and supporting bottlesthereagainst reinforced by vertical hollow profiled columns on saidinner side wall face, said columns extending to said upper and loweredges of said crate; a continuous circumferential band having an innerand outer face, said band having several parallel, horizontallyextending ribs, said rib formed on said outer face of said band andextending outwardly therefrom, said outer face of said band protrudingoutwardly farther than said outer side faces of said sidewalls.
 16. Thebottle crate as set forth in claim 15, wherein said circumferential ribhas at least four horizontal ribs provided for at said outer side wallfaces.
 17. The bottle crate as set forth in claim 15, wherein said cratehas more than one circumferential horizontal rib.
 18. The bottle crateas set forth in claim 15, wherein said crate has four circumferentialhorizontal ribs.
 19. The bottle crate as set forth in claim 15, whereinsaid side walls are formed by inclined or round faces and are displacedto the inside of said crate with respect to said rib band and corners.20. The bottle crate as set forth in claim 15, further comprising gripopenings in said side walls, said openings bordered by said hollowprofiled columns.
 21. The bottle crate as set forth in claim 15, whereinsaid hollow profiled columns are reinforced by vertical ribs.
 22. Thebottle crate as set forth in claim 15, further comprising a crate bottomhaving island-like support ring structures formed by angularlycircumferential ribs protruding downwardly.
 23. The bottle crate as setforth in claim 22, wherein said support ring structure comprises bulgesthat increase the width dimensions of said ribs.
 24. The bottle crate asset forth in claim 22, wherein said support ring structure is mutuallyspaced in the axes defined by said compartment walls.
 25. The bottlecrate as set forth in claim 22, wherein said support ring structureshave banana-like openings and circle segment openings therein.
 26. Thebottle crate as set forth in claim 22, wherein said support ringstructure is formed by an outer rib and an inner rib.
 27. The bottlecrate as set forth in claim 15, further comprising profiled openingsbetween said outer and inner ribs, the shape of said openings preventingbottle crown corks from getting stuck.
 28. The bottle crate as set forthin claim 15, further comprising segmental walls interconnected with saidcompartment walls to form a roof-shaped square.
 29. The crate as setforth in claim 1, wherein said bottles received in said crate aresupported by said vertical side faces.
 30. The crate as set forth inclaim 1, wherein no horizontal ribs are positioned between said upperand lower marginal rims.